Sharing cinematic experiences one movie review at a time…plus, something extra here and there

jennifer jason leight

Welcome to the last (finally) post dedicated to the awards’ season. This time, I won’t be reviewing any nominated motion pictures (I have done that already), but I will tell you my own personal winners and will list all the others films in a very subjective order in each category. I am listing all the films because it was very hard for me to pick a definite number 1 spot. In addition, a lot of these films would have probably made my Best movies of 2015list if I had seen them before January 1st, so I feel the need to at least mention them here.

Now, my categories won’t have a definite number of spaces in them. I have actually picked 20 films in total that have been nominated for either a Golden Globe, a SAG, a BAFTA, an Oscar or for all 4. Also, I will be joining adapted and original screenplay categories into one. The distinction between lead and supporting roles will also be treated subjectively and not necessarily the way that the studios wanted. At the end of each category, I will also give my more objective prediction of who will probably take home the Academy Award.

P.S. The reviews of all these movies are linked to the names of the films only once – in the first category because it just seemed irrational to link you to a single post 5 or 6 times.

Prediction: As much as I would love for Mad Max to get the win, it seems very unlikely that this will happen. Although, with all the backlash against the Oscars online, the Academy might want to calm the fanboys/fangirls down by giving the award to the fan favorite. If they do decide to go the traditional route, The Revenant will probably be their top pick.

Best Directing

Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller

The Revenant – Alejandro González Iñárritu

The Hateful Eight – Quentin Tarantino

Room – Lenny Abrahamson

The Big Short – Adam McKay

Creed – Ryan Coogler

Beasts of No Nation – Cary Joji Fukunaga

Bridge of Spies – Steven Spielberg

Straight Outta Compton – F. Gary Gray

The Martian – Ridley Scott

Steve Jobs – Danny Boyle

Ex-Machina – Alex Garland

Spotlight – Tom McCarthy

Concussion – Peter Landesman

The Danish Girl – Tom Hooper

Brooklyn – John Crowley

Trumbo – Jay Roach

Joy – David O. Russell

Carol – Todd Haynes

45 Years – Andrew Haigh

Prediction: Again, I would love for George Miller to take the award home, but I kinda think that Iñárritu will get his second win in the row. I would be willing to let Iñárritu win if Mad Max gets the Best Picture statue.

Best Writing

Spotlight – Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer

The Hateful Eight – Quentin Tarantino

Steve Jobs – Aaron Sorkin

The Martian – Drew Goddard

Creed – Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington

The Big Short – Adam McKay, Charles Randolph

The Revenant – Mark L. Smith, Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris

Bridge of Spies – Matt Charman, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Straight Outta Compton – Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff

Ex-Machina – Alex Garland

The Danish Girl – Lucinda Coxon

Room – Emma Donoghue

Trumbo – John McNamara

Concussion – Peter Landesman

Joy – David O. Russell

45 Years – Andrew Haigh

Beasts of No Nation – Cary Joji Fukunaga

Brooklyn – Nick Hornby

Carol – Phyllis Nagy

Prediction: this is the hardest category to predict. My best bet is that the original screenplay statue will be awarded to Spotlight, while the adapted one – to The Big Short.

Best Male Performance in a Leading Role:

Leonardo Dicaprio for The Revenant

Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl

Tom Hardy for The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road

Matt Damon for The Martian

Jacob Tremblay for Room

Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs

Samuel L. Jackson for The Hateful Eight

Michael B.Jordan for Creed

Will Smith for Concussion

Bryan Cranston for Trumbo

Tom Hanks for Bridge of Spies

Christian Bale for The Big Short

Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight

Domhnall Gleeson for Ex Machina

Abraham Attah for Beasts of No Nation

O’Shea Jakcson Jr. for Straight Outta Compton

Tom Courtenay for 45 Years

Prediction: this is one of the few categories where my objective and subjective side think the same thing. If Leo does not win this year, he should just stop trying altogether.

Best Female Performance in a Leading Role:

Brie Larson for Room

Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and Ex-Machina

Charlize Theron for Mad Max Fury Road

Rooney Mara for Carol

Jennifer Lawrence for Joy

Rachel McAdams for Spotlight

Cate Blanchett for Carol

Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn

Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years

Prediction: once again, I both objectively and subjectively think that Brie Larson should get the Oscar, although, I would be pleasantly surprised if Vikander gets the win. On a side note, the saddest part about this category is that out of the 20 films, I could only find 9 actresses in leading(-ish) roles, while there 17 male leading roles.

Best Male Performance in a Supporting Role:

Ryan Gosling for The Big Short

Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone for Creed

Nicholas Hoult for Mad Max Fury Road

Domhnall Gleeson for The Revenant

Bradley Cooper for Joy

Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation

Oscar Isaac for Ex-Machina

Matthias Schoenaerts for The Danish Girl

Walton Goggins for The Hateful Eight

Michael Keaton for Spotlight

Alec Baldwin for Concussion

Corey Hawkins for Straight Outta Compton

Prediction: while I would like Gosling to win, I think that the award will go to either Mark Rylance or Sylvester Stallone. I wouldn’t be sad in either case.

Best Female Performance in a Supporting Role

Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs

Jennifer Jason Leight for The Hateful Eight

Jessica Chastain for The Martian

Tessa Thompson for Creed

Amber Heard for The Danish Girl

Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Concussion

Diane Lane for Trumbo

Prediction: I would like the win to go to Kate Winslet, but the actual award will probably find itself in the hands of Jennifer Jason Leight. On a side note, this was probably the hardest category to fill, because I put a lot of actresses in the leading role category, while the Academy and the studios said that they were playing supporting roles.

I really hope that you enjoyed this post because I worked really hard on it. I felt the most challenged not when I was compiling the actual final lists, but while I was watching and reviewing all the films. Tell me in the comments your personal winners! Bye!!